Nelson’s Sailors

The 'wooden walls' of the Royal Navy formed the country's most important line of defence during the Napoleonic Wars, protecting Britain from Napoleon's intended invasion. Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson, perhaps Britain's most popular hero, instilled unswerving confidence in his men and led them to great success in battle, never more so than in the Battle of Trafalgar. This book examines the experiences of the average British sailor on board a ship-of-the-line during the age of Nelson, including the infamous press ganging, alcoholism and squalid conditions. These were brave men, thrown into the thick of battle, held together by a belief and a cause - to prevent Napoleon and his men from invading their homeland.